Valve.



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WESTON M. FULTON, 0F KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR T0 THE FULTON COMPANY, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, A. CORPORATION OF MAINE.

VALVE.

Application led April 20, 1914. Serial No. 833,287.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WESTON M. FULTON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Knoxville, Tennessee, have in vented a new and useful Improvement in Valves, rwhich invention is fully set forth in the following specification. l

This invention relates to self-acting valves, and more particularly to valves of this class in which the operation of the valve is controlled by a `pilot valve, operated by hand or by automatic control means. In valves of this type, there is provided a casing separated into a high pressure receiving side and a low pressure delivery side communicating with each other through an opening controlled by a valveusually operated byv a pist0n which is controlled by a pilot valve operated by more or less delicate outside means, such as centrifugal governors, timing apparatus, thermostatically controlled elements, low pressure systems, magnetic de vices operating from a distance, etc. Owing to the diiiiculties experienced in making the piston fluidtight, leakage often occurs around the piston, thereby resulting often times 'in v the unexpected operation of the valve. While attempts have been made to compensate for this leakage by use of a large pilot valve, it is found that the leakage'defect is usually progressive while the provision for caring for it remains constant, with the result that the leakage continues; furthermore, the larger the pilot valve the more work is thrown on the device which operates this valve and thereby reducing the sensitiveness of the device.

The object of the present invention is to overcome these objections and, with this object in view, the invention, broadly stated, consists in providing in a self-.operated pilot controlled valve a collapsible and expansible metal vessel having connection with the valve member and subjecting thev vessel on one side to high pressure in the line and on the opposite side to fluid pressure controlled by the pilot valve. I vent the high pressure fluid admitted to the vessel fromthe high into the low pressure section of the line and arrange I the vessel to open the valve when the pilot -valve is opened, closure of the valve being effected by actuating means such as a spring assisted by the vpressure in the line. The

condition of fluidpressure on the walls of the vessel, as determined by the pilot valve, determines the opening and closing movements of the valve.

The usel of my collapsible vessel in the manner described avoids leakage past a piston and reduces leakage to that which may pass the pilot valve, and this is practically nothing. This valve can therefore be made as small as desired with the double advantage of lpractically avoiding leakage and of diminishing the power necessary to move the pilot valve. This again permits the use of more delicate control means for operating the valve.

The collapsible and expansible metal vessel which I prefer to employ consists of a Patented Mar. 21, i916.

flexible corrugated sheet metal wall of the a character shown and described in my U. S. Patents Nos. 887,084, 903,465, 947 ,229, 967,010, 975,519, 976,060 and 979,460, having one end stationary and secured to the wall of the valve casing, the opposite movable end being closed by an inflexible end wall which is connected with the valve to be operated. The end wall is provided with a perforation, the purpose of which is to permit fluid pressures on opposite sides of the wall to equalize and thereby enable a spring to operate `the valve in one direction. The valve is operated in the opposite direction by unbalanced iiuid pressure on the wall brought abrilit by escape of fluid on one side of the wa Itis to be' understood that my improve'- ment may be used with pilot valves controlled by hand or by mechanical control.

In order that the inventicn may be more readily understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, showing by way of illustration one embodiment of the inventive idea, but the drawing is intended merely to assist the description and not as deiining the limits of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, a self-actuating pilot-controlled valve is shown, in which 1 is a globejvalve casing having a partition 2 located between. the high pressure inlet 3 and the low pressure outlet 4, and is provided with the usual opening and a valve seat 5. An internally threaded hub 6 extends from the wall of the globe valve and receives the threaded extension 7 of a casing 8 which is adapted to house the collapsible and expansible metal vessel 9, the movable end of which is closed by an inliexible wall 10. The opposite end of the vessel is provided witha flange 11 for resting on the upper Hanged end of casing 8 and is held in place by a closure 12, the flanged edges of which are provided with openings corresponding to similar openings in the flange of the casing for receiving clamping bolts 13. A washer 14 is provided for making a tight joint. In the bottom closure 10 is secured a valve stem 15 terminating in a valve 16 of lany approved form which is adapted to engage the seat-5. To give free communication between the inlet side of the valve and the space between the vessel 9 and casing 8, passages 17 are provided between the valve body and extension 7 iof the casing 8. Formed on and depending from the top closure 12 is a hub 18 having a threaded opening for receiving a cylinder 19 adapted to limit the collapsing movement of the vessel 9. Openings 20 are provided in this tube to give communication with the interior of the'vessel 9. A spring 21 surrounds the tube y19 and hub 18 and normallytends to extend the vessel 9 and to seat the valve 16. The top of the closure 12 is provided with an extension 22 in which is formed a passage 23. In the end of extension 22 is secured the hub of a pilot-valve casing 24 which is adapted to communicate with the low pressure side of partition 2 through pipe 25 and with vessel 9 through a valvecontrolled port 26. The valve 27 controlling this portmay be controlled by hand or by mechanical means, such as a thermostat or other sensitive device. As shown, this valve is formed on the end of a rod 28 which passes through a stuffing box 29 and is held in .vertical positionby a guide member 30 forming part of 'a frame 31, the base of whichhas an opening fitting the extension 22 and is clamped' securely to the closure 12 by a nut 32.

In the end closure 10 of vessel 9 is made an opening 33, the size of which is smaller than the port opening 26 in valve 27, the

purpose of which will clearly appear in the description of the operation.

Assuming the parts of the device to have been assembled, asI shown, and the pilotvalve to have been moved by hand or by automatic controlling means, not shown, into open position, steam or other Huid under pressure which has previously occupied vessel 9 escapes through the uncovered port -26 into by-pass conduit 25 which conducts it to the low pressure side of globe valve `1. While high pressure fluid enters vessel 9 through,opening 33, pressure in the vessel lowers below, the 'outside pressure because the discharge through port 26 is faster than the supply through opening 33 since the latter opening is smaller than the port opening. When the pressure within the vessel becomes less than'the pressure outside the vessel, the upward Huid pressure on wall 10 lovercomes the downward pressure of spring 21 on the wall and the wall with the valve 16 carried by it rises and uncovers the opening in partition 2, Communication between the high pressure and low pressure compartments of the valve l'is maintained until conditions in the low pressure system require pilot-valve 27 to close port 26. Pressure in vessel 9 now begins to build up through opening 33 by admission of fluid from outside the vessel. Vhen thc pressures are equalized on the two sides of the wall 10, the spring 21 becomes effective to move valve 16' into closing position where line pressure assists in holding it.

From the above, it will be seen that the use of a sliding piston in the ty e of valve described is' obviated, together with its leakage difficulties, and that the small size of opening in the pilotfvalve-makes it possible to use very delicate operating means for controlling this valve.

Whatis claimed is 1. In combination, a valve casing having a high `pressure inlet and a low pressure outlet, a partition therein having a valve controlled port, a valve controlled conduit having its ends opening into the casing on opposite sides of said partition, a chambered diaphragm in said conduit consisting of a collapsible and expansible corrugated vessel having a movable end wall provided with a vent opening and connected to the port valve, a spring within said vessel tending to move the port valve into closed position, and a stop within the vessel to limit the collapse of the vessel by Huid pressure, said spring acting to close the port valve when pressures are equalized through saidA vent by closure of said conduit valve.

2. A conduit having a partition therein provided with a valve controlled port, a second conduit provided with a pilot valve and connecting the inlet side of the partition with the outlet side,a chambered diacollapse, and a spring nominally acting to move the valve in one direction when pressures are equalized on both sides of said` diaphragm through said vent opening by closing the pilot valve, said port valveV moving in the opposite direction when the pilot valve is open.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing witnesses.

WESTON M. FULTON'. Witnesses H. T. PATTON, I. A. MARTIN. 

